Linking and nesting units



July 21, 1964 Filed Nov- 21, 1961 J. N. STAFFORD LINKING AND NESTING UNITS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Z QQ-IQQA A Home y July 21, 1964 J. N. STAFFORD 3,141,699

I LINKING AND NESTING UNITS Filed Nov. 21, 1961 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 9A 0mm Attorney United States Patent 3,141,699 LINKING AND NESTING UNKTS John Neville Staiford, London, England, assignor to Stafford Patents and Holdings Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Nov. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 153,821 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 23, 1960 2 Claims. (Cl. 297239) This invention concerns units such as chairs, seats, bench seats, benches, tables, desks and like units (all hereinafter generally and inclusively referred to as nesting units) which can be nested one on top of the other so as to form a stack and which also can be linked to one another in end-to-end relationship.

This invention has for one object to provide a new and improved species of linking and nesting units of the type generally disclosed and claimed in my copending patent No. 3,053,493, granted September 11, 1962.

This invention has for a further object to provide an underframe for such a unit which is cheap, robust and simple.

The invention has for a further object to provide an nnderframe which does not have parts thereof projecting beyond its end frames.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view from one side of a chair having an underframe according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the underneath of the underframe and chair;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the linking means of an underframe, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view from one side showing two chairs having underframes according to this invention and nested to form a stack.

Referring to the drawings, the chair 1 includes an underframe having four legs 3, 4, 5 and 6, of which the front and rear legs 3, 5 and 4, 6, respectively, comprise mutually spaced-apart side pairs thereof. The corresponding front legs 3 and 4 and the corresponding rear legs 5 and 6 of said pairs are respectively each joined together by transversely extending connecting members 7 and 8 which are integral therewith. Preferably, each front and rear leg set, i.e. the corresponding front and rear legs and connecting members, are formed from a single tubular piece of metal bent to the form of a U-member.

Two longitudinal, horizontally disposed bars 9 and 16 of tubular metal are welded to said transversely extending connecting members 7 and 8 to connect and hold the latter and the legs integral therewith in laterally spaced relationship, the arrangement being such that the transverse connecting members converge from one pair of legs towards another (as best seen in FIGURE 2). The legs 3 and 5 of one side pair thereof are thus more widely spaced than the legs 4 and 6 of the opposite side pair thereof by an amount such that the less widely spaced legs of an identical chair may be received in the space between said more widely spaced legs 3 and 5 of said one chair being described.

Illustratively, the longitudinal connecting bars 9 and 10 are respectively provided with integral extensions 11 and 12 which are bent upwardly and which serve to carry the back rest 13 of the chair. The horizontal portions of said longitudinal connecting bars and 10 carry the chair-seat panel 14.

The more widely spaced legs 3 and 5 of the side pair thereof are each provided near their upper parts with lugtype linking means for linking two chairs constructed according to the invention in side-by-side relationship,

such lug means preferably comprising a pair of metal plates 15, 16 welded to the inner and outer sides respectively of each leg 3 and 5 and which project inwardly into the space between said legs a distance corresponding to the diameter of said legs and hence of said legs 4 or 6. Accordingly, said lug means are positioned to block entry of the less widely spaced legs (corresponding to legs 4 and 6) of an identical chair should attempt be made to effect such entry by moving the identical chair into close side-by-side relationship through straight horizontal movement imparted to one or both of said chairs.

However, consequent to the lug means being formed by parallel, vertically disposed plates 15 and 16 as aforesaid, the lug means define vertical leg-receiving channels disposed just inwardly of each of the more widely spaced legs 3, 5 of the pair thereof, which channels are disposed to receive and accommodate the less widely spaced legs of the pair thereof carried by the identical chair, when the chairs to be linked are so related as to permit reception of said less widely spaced pair of legs in said channels.

Such linking relationship may be simply achieved by first raising the identical chair to an elevation such that its less widely spaced legs are disposed slightly above the lug means 15, 16 of the one chair and said legs are disposed in alignment with the leg-receiving channels defined by said lug means, and thereupon lowering said identical chair, as results in its less widely spaced legs freely entering the space between the more widely spaced legs carrying the lug means, and thereby in the two chairs being linked in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3. That is to say, when the under frames of the two chairs are linked in this manner, the legs 3 and 5 of the more widely spaced pair thereof as provided on one chair will lie outside, but in the same vertical plane as, the pair of less widely spaced legs 4 and 6 of the identical chair linked therewith. Alternatively, two identical chairs may be linked as herein proposed by elevating the chair carrying the leg-linking lug means by an amount such that said means are disposed at a level approximately that of the transverse connecting members 7 and 8 of the leg structure of the identical chair and in position such that the channels defined by said lug means are disposed in vertical alignment with the less widely spaced legs 4 and 60f the pair thereof carried by said identical chair, and then lowering said one chair relative to the identical chair, as results in the lug means moving down over the less widely spaced legs 4 and 6, again to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

Although lug means in the form of a pair of metal plates 15, 16 have been described and illustrated, such lug means may, however, take the form of a U-clip or cleat or a similar element welded upon or otherwise fixed to or securable to the legs by which they are to be carried, i.e. the more widely spaced legs 3, 5.

The said lug means could be spring clips or clips contractible by screw means to fix them on the chair by which they are to be carried and may be of any suitable shape.

In another form, the lug means may comprise an extruded block of or blocks of any appropriate material (e.g. nylon or metal) suitably secured to one leg and having a concave cross section to receive the leg with which it co-operates.

Alternatively, the block or blocks may have opposed, double concave surfaces one surface being adapted to em brace an outer leg and the other an inner leg when two underframes are linked. Such a block may be secured either to the narrower or, preferably, to the wider legs of an underframe.

The aforesaid lug means 15, 16 as provided on the more Widely spaced legs of each side pair thereof serve an additonal function now to be described. More particularly, and referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be seen that the longitudinal connecting members 9 and 19 are contained in vertical planes disposed a substantial distance laterally-inwardly from the vertical planes containing the side pairs of legs 3, S and 4, 6, respectively, and also that the seat-panel side edges are disposed in vertical planes intermediate those containing said side pairs of legs and said longitudinal connecting members. There being no other cross connections extending between the upper ends of the legs of the side pairs thereof, it becomes evident that the leg structure of the invention permits of the vertical nesting of identical chairs incorporating said leg structure in the closely spaced relationship illustrated in FIGURE 4, and further with the side legs of each upper chair being offset forwardly from the corresponding side legs of lower chairs. Since the lug means 15, 16 provided on the rear leg of the more widely spaced pair of legs carried by the under or lower chair projects therefrom in forward direction, .said means is ideally located to receive and guide into properly nested position the corresponding rearward leg 5 of the next higher chair, and thereafter to prevent any lateral move ment of said upper chair from its nested position with respect to the lower chair.

The forms of the invention described and illustrated are presented merely as examples of how the invention may be embodied and applied. Other forms, embodiments and applications of the invention, coming within the proper scope of the appended claims, will, of course suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A piece of furniture adapted to be nested vertically and linked in side-by-side relationship with similar pieces of furniture comprising, in combination, an underframe including side pairs of mutually spaced-apart front and rear legs, longitudinal members extending between and rigidly connecting the upper ends of the legs of each side pair to one another and being contained in vertical planes disposed a substantial distance laterally-inwardly from the vertical planes containing said side pairs of legs, a generally rectangular panel affixed to and supported on said longitudinal members, the side edges of said panel being disposed in vertical planes intermediate the vertical planes containing said side pairs of legs and said longitudinal members, the legs of the side pairs thereof being devoid of any other connection extending therebetween, whereby one piece of furniture may be closely nested vertically upon a similar piece of furniture with its side legs offset forwardly from the corresponding side legs of the furniture piece upon which it is nested, said longitudinal members also connecting the legs of the side pairs together in such manner that the legs of one side pair are more widely i spaced than the legs of the other side pair by an amount such that the correspondingly less Widely spaced side pair of legs of a similar, sidewardly related adjacent piece of furniture may be closely accommodated between the more Widely spaced legs of said one side pair thereof on said one piece of furniture, and lug means each comprising a pair of parallel lugs together defining a vertical legreceiving channel affixed to each of said more widely spaced legs of said one side pair thereof and positioned intermediate the length thereof and projecting substantially horizontally inwardly into the space between said legs by an amount preventing the less widely spaced legs of the side pair thereof of the adjacent piece of furniture from entering and being accommodated in said space as an incident to relative straight horizontal movement of the adjacent piece of furniture toward said one piece of furniture, but the construction and arrangement of said lugs being such as to permit accommodation of said less widely spaced pairs of legs of the adjacent piece of furniture in said space responsive to said adjacent piece of furniture being first raised to a position such that its less widely spaced pair of legs are disposed above said lug means and then lowered into said space through the channels provided by said lug means, said lug means being operative upon such lowering movement to link the more widely spaced side pair of legs of said one piece of furniture to the less widely spaced side pair of legs of the adjacent piece of furniture; said lug means on the rearward of the more widely spaced legs of the pair thereof on said one piece of furniture also providing a vertically disposed channel for receiving and guiding the corresponding forwardly oifset leg of a next higher similar piece of furniture vertically nested thereon as aforesaid. 2. -A piece of furniture as set forth in claim 1, wherein the corresponding front legs of the side pairs thereof comprise the side members of an inverted U-rnernber whose connecting bight portion extends across the forward portion of the panel, wherein the corresponding rear legs of the side pairs thereof similarly comprise the side members of an inverted U-member whose connecting bight portion extends transversely across the rearward portion of the panel, and wherein said longitudinal members which connect the leg members of the pairs to one another are rigidiy affixed to said bight members.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,388,180 Pulver Oct. 30, 194-5 3,018,131 Krueger Jan. 23, 1962 3,053,493 taiford Sept. 11, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 601,889 Great Britain May 13, 194-8 683,250 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1952 864,002 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1961 

1. A PIECE OF FURNITURE ADAPTED TO BE NESTED VERTICALLY AND LINKED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP WITH SIMILAR PIECES OF FURNITURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN UNDERFRAME INCLUDING SIDE PAIRS OF MUTUALLY SPACED-APART FRONT AND REAR LEGS, LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND RIGIDLY CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LEGS OF EACH SIDE PAIR TO ONE ANOTHER AND BEING CONTAINED IN VERTICAL PLANES DISPOSED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE LATERALLY-INWARDLY FROM THE VERTICAL PLANES CONTAINING SAID SIDE PAIRS OF LEGS, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PANEL AFFIXED TO AND SUPPORTED ON SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS, THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID PANEL BEING DISPOSED IN VERTICAL PLANES INTERMEDIATE THE VERTICAL PLANES CONTAINING SAID SIDE PAIRS OF LEGS AND SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS, THE LEGS OF THE SIDE PAIRS THEREOF BEING DEVOID OF ANY OTHER CONNECTION EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, WHEREBY ONE PIECE OF FURNITURE MAY BE CLOSELY NESTED VERTICALLY UPON A SIMILAR PIECE OF FURNITURE WITH ITS SIDE LEGS OFFSET FORWARDLY FROM THE CORRESPONDING SIDE LEGS OF THE FURNITURE PIECE UPON WHICH IT IS NESTED SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS ALSO CONNECTING THE LEGS OF THE SIDE PAIRS TOGETHER IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE LEGS OF ONE SIDE PAIR ARE MORE WIDELY SPACED THAN THE LEGS OF THE OTHER SIDE PAIR BY AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT THE CORRESPONDINGLY LESS WIDELY SPACED SIDE PAIR OF LEGS OF A SIMILAR, SIDEWARDLY RELATED ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE MAY BE CLOSELY ACCOMMODATE BETWEEN THE MORE WIDELY SPACED LEGS OF SAID ONE SIDE PAIR THEREOF ON SAID ONE PIECE OF FURNITURE, AND LUG MEANS EACH COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL LUGS TOGETHER DEFINING A VERTICAL LEGRECEIVING CHANNEL AFFIXED TO EACH OF SAID MORE WIDELY SPACED LEGS OF SAID ONE SIDE PAIR THEREOF AND POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE LENGTH THEREOF AND PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY INWARDLY INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LEGS BY AN AMOUNT PREVENTING THE LESS WIDELY SPACED LEGS OF THE SIDE PAIR THEREOF OF THE ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE FROM ENTERING AND BEING ACCOMODATED IN SAID SPACE AS AN INCIDENT TO RELATIVE STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF THE ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE TOWARD SAID ONE PIECE OF FURNITURE, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID LUGS BEING SUCH AS TO PERMIT ACCOMMODATION OF SAID LESS WIDELY SPACED PAIRS OF LEGS OF THE ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE IN SAID SPACE RESPONSIVE TO SAID ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE BEING FIRST RAISED TO A POSITION SUCH THAT ITS LESS WIDELY SPACED PAIR OF LEGS ARE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID LUG MEANS AND THEN LOWERED INTO SAID SPACE THROUGH THE CHANNELS PROVIDED BY SAID LUG MEANS, SAID LUG MEANS BEING OPERATIVE UPON SUCH LOWERING MOVEMENT TO LINK THE MORE WIDELY SPACED SIDE PAIR OF LEGS OF SAID ONE PIECE OF FURNITURE TO THE LESS WIDELY SPACED SIDE PAIR OF LEGS OF THE ADJACENT PIECE OF FURNITURE; SAID LUG MEANS ON THE REARWARD OF THE MORE WIDELY SPACED LEGS OF THE PAIR THEREOF ON SAID ONE PIECE OF FURNITURE ALSO PROVIDING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CHANNEL FOR RECEIVING AND GUIDING THE CORRESPONDING FORWARDLY OFFSET LEG OF A NEXT HIGHER SIMILAR PIECE OF FURNITURE VERTICALLY NESTED THEREON AS AFORESAID. 